Croatian cuisine
Encyclopedia
Croatia
n cuisine is heterogeneous and is known as the cuisine of regions, since every region has its own distinct culinary traditions. Its modern roots date back to ancient periods and the differences in the selection of foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those on the mainland and those in coastal regions. Mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Slavic and the more recent contacts with the more famous gastronomic orders of today - Hungarian, Viennese and in some part of land Turkish
- while the coastal region bears the influences of the Greek, Roman and Illyrian
, as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine - Italian
and French
.
Croatian meals include:
Croatian seafood
dishes include:
Apart from the great abundance of imported international beers (Heineken
, Tuborg, Gösser
, Stella Artois
, etc.), you will find some tasty home-brewn beers in Croatia. (Real fans need to know that the brewery in Split
produces Bavaria
n Kaltenberg beer by licence of the original brewery in Germany
.)
drinkers (on average 5kg per person annually), not only because it was formerly part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, but also because it bordered the former Ottoman Empire
. Traditional coffee houses similar to those in Vienna
are located throughout Croatia.
has a leading position in Europe. Concerning water quality, Croatian water is greatly appreciated all over the world. Due to a lack of established industries there have also been no major incidents of water pollution.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n cuisine is heterogeneous and is known as the cuisine of regions, since every region has its own distinct culinary traditions. Its modern roots date back to ancient periods and the differences in the selection of foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those on the mainland and those in coastal regions. Mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Slavic and the more recent contacts with the more famous gastronomic orders of today - Hungarian, Viennese and in some part of land Turkish
Turkish cuisine
Turkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighbouring cuisines, including that of western Europe...
- while the coastal region bears the influences of the Greek, Roman and Illyrian
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
, as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine - Italian
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
and French
French cuisine
French cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...
.
Cuisine of the regions
Croatian cuisine can, roughly summarized, be divided into a few regions which all have their specific cooking traditions, characteristic for the area and not necessarily well-known in other parts of Croatia. Most dishes, however, can be found all across the country. This is also why the varied cuisine of Croatia is called "cuisine of the regions".Typical food delicacies
Meat and game
Some foods from typical Croatian menus:- Specialities from the grill are called s roštilja or s ražnja
- pečeno means roasted
- prženo means fried
- pod pekom means that the dish has been put into a stone oven under a metal cover. The cook puts hot coals on the cover so that the meal is cooked slowly.
Croatian meals include:
- Ražnjići (skewerSkewerA skewer is a thin metal or wood stick used to hold pieces of food together. They are used while grilling or roasting meats, and in other culinary applications....
s) - Meso s tiblice pork ham from Međimurje county
- Janjetina - lamb garnished with Mediterranean herbs
- Odojak - roast pork
- Fresh gameGame (food)Game is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated. Game animals are also hunted for sport.The type and range of animals hunted for food varies in different parts of the world. This will be influenced by climate, animal diversity, local taste and locally accepted view about what can or...
from DalmatiaDalmatiaDalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south.... - Visovačka begavica
- VealVealVeal is the meat of young cattle , as opposed to meat from older cattle. Though veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, most veal comes from male calves of dairy cattle breeds...
steaks stuffed with ham and cheese and grilled with breadcrumbs - TurkeyTurkey (bird)A turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris. One species, Meleagris gallopavo, commonly known as the Wild Turkey, is native to the forests of North America. The domestic turkey is a descendant of this species...
with mlinciMlinciMlinci is a dish in Croatian and Slovenian cuisine. It is a thin dried flatbread that is easy to prepare by simply pouring boiled salted water or soup over the mlinci....
(flat, sour dumplings) - Kaninchenbraten
- Leg of lamb à la PašticadaPašticadaPašticada is a stewed beef dish cooked in special sauce, popular in Croatia. It is often called Dalmatinska pašticada because it originates in Dalmatia. It requires long and meticulous preparation, which includes marinating the beef in vinegar, lemon and rosemary for at least 24 hours...
(rolled pieces of Pršut in white wine sauce) - Leg of venisonVenisonVenison is the meat of a game animal, especially a deer but also other animals such as antelope, wild boar, etc.-Etymology:The word derives from the Latin vēnor...
the count's way - Wild duckDuck (food)Duck refers to the meat of several species of bird in the Anatidae family, found in both fresh and salt water. Duck is eaten in many cuisines around the world.-Types of ducks:The most common duck meat consumed in the United States is the Pekin duck...
with sauce
- Roasted pheasantPheasantPheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
- Kotlovina from SamoborSamoborSamobor is a town in the Zagreb County, Croatia. It is part of the Zagreb metropolitan area.-Geography:Samobor is located west of Zagreb, between the eastern slopes of the Samoborsko gorje , in the Sava River valley.-Population:...
(kettle with knuckle of pork and other meat and sausages) - Boiled filletFillet (cut)A fillet is a cut or slice of boneless meat or fish.- Meat :In the case of beef, in the USA, the term most often refers to beef tenderloin, especially filet mignon.- Chicken :...
of beef haunch with SauerkrautSauerkrautSauerkraut , directly translated from German: "sour cabbage", is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria, including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. It has a long shelf-life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid... - Escalope à la Baron Trenk (spicy-rolled Schnitzel)
- GooseGooseThe word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
Međimurje (filled with buckwheatBuckwheatBuckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
) - Goose TuropoljeTuropoljeTuropolje is a region in Croatia situated between the capital city Zagreb and Sisak. The administrative center of the region Turopolje is the town of Velika Gorica.-Overview:...
(corn semolinaSemolinaSemolina is the coarse, purified wheat middlings of durum wheat used in making pasta, and also used for breakfast cereals and puddings. Semolina is also used to designate coarse middlings from other varieties of wheat, and from other grains such as rice and corn.-Name:The term semolina derives from...
as a side dish) - Purgerica Turkey (ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
dish from the bordering region to ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, turkey filled with chestnuts, apples, bacon, lemons, etc.) - Krvavice, or čurke, blood sausageBlood sausageBlack pudding, blood pudding or blood sausage is a type of sausage made by cooking blood or dried blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. The dish exists in various cultures from Asia to Europe...
s, made of blood and kašaKasaKasa may refer toThings*Gasa , a form of Korean poetry*Kasa-obake, a spirit or monster in Japanese folklore*Kasa , a Japanese hatPlaces*Kasa, Sweden, a village in northern Sweden... - Hladetina, a particular type of head cheeseHead cheeseHead cheese , or brawn , is a cold cut that originated in Europe. A version pickled with vinegar is known as souse. Head cheese is not a cheese but a terrine or meat jelly made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig , and often set in aspic. Which parts of the head are used can vary, but the...
Seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
dishes include:
- SquidSquidSquid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
s - Croatian: lignje, Italian: calamari - OctopusOctopusThe octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
salad - Croatian: salata od hobotnice - CuttlefishCuttlefishCuttlefish are marine animals of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda . Despite their name, cuttlefish are not fish but molluscs....
risotto - Croatian: Crni rižot, Italian: Risotto nero - TunaTunaTuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
- Shrimps - Croatian: škampi, Italian: scampi
- Common mussels - Croatian: dagnje
- CodCodCod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
with potatoes - Croatian bakalar na bijelo (DubrovnikDubrovnikDubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
, Dalmatia and Istria) - FishFishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
stewStewA stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
- Croatian brodet or brudet (Dubrovnik and Dalmatia), Italian brodetto
- ClamsCLaMSCLaMS is a modular chemistry transport model system developed at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany. CLaMS was first described by McKenna et al. and was expanded into three dimensions by Konopka et al....
- Sea spider salad
- Breaded catfishCatfishCatfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
or carpCarpCarp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain... - Grilled sardineSardineSardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
s - Buzara or Buzzara (shellfish sautéed in garlic, olive oil, parsley & white wine)
- Date shells or prstaciPrstaciLithophaga lithophaga , also known as date shells or date mussels, are a species of Bivalvia. They can be found in northeast Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. They are found on the Adriatic coast of Croatia and Montenegro under the name prstaci...
are part of the traditional cuisine, but in the 20th century their extraction was banned as a measure of ecological protection
Stews
- GoulashGoulashGoulash is a soup or stew of meat, noodles and vegetables , seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is also a popular meal in Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Romania, Scandinavia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia...
(Croatian: gulaš, see also Hungarian gulyásGoulashGoulash is a soup or stew of meat, noodles and vegetables , seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is also a popular meal in Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Romania, Scandinavia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia...
) - Grah - beans (often done as 'grah sa zeljem' - with sauerkraut, or 'grah sa kiselom repom' - with pickled turnip strings)
- Mahune-green beans
- Riblji paprikašFish soupFisherman's Soup or halászlé ; , ribena chorba; , ribina čorba) is a hot, spicy paprika-based river fish soup, originating as a dish of Hungarian cuisine, a bright red hot soup prepared with generous amounts of hot paprika and carp or mixed river fish, characteristic for the cuisines of the...
- also called fiš-paprikaš (spicy fish stew from SlavoniaSlavoniaSlavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
, see also Hungarian halászlé) - Slavonska riblja čorbaFish soupFisherman's Soup or halászlé ; , ribena chorba; , ribina čorba) is a hot, spicy paprika-based river fish soup, originating as a dish of Hungarian cuisine, a bright red hot soup prepared with generous amounts of hot paprika and carp or mixed river fish, characteristic for the cuisines of the...
(fish stew from Slavonia) - BrudetBrudetBrudet / brodeto is a fish stew made in Dalmatia and Istria. It consists of several types of fish, and the most important aspect of brodeto is its simplicity of preparation and the fact that it is usually prepared in a single pot. It is served with polenta which soaks up the fish broth. A similar...
(or Brodet) - fish stew - Chicken stew
- Rabbit goulash
- Istrian StewIstrian StewIstrian stew or yota is very popular in Istria as well as other regions in Croatia. It is also typical of Trieste, Gorizia, Friuli and the Slovenian Littoral. Its main ingredients are beans, sauerkraut, potatoes, bacon, spare ribs, and the main seasoning is garlic.-External links:**: a recipe...
(JotaIstrian StewIstrian stew or yota is very popular in Istria as well as other regions in Croatia. It is also typical of Trieste, Gorizia, Friuli and the Slovenian Littoral. Its main ingredients are beans, sauerkraut, potatoes, bacon, spare ribs, and the main seasoning is garlic.-External links:**: a recipe...
) - Game Čobanac (Shepherd's Stew)
- Feines Venison goulash with prunes
- Hunter's Stew
- Wine goulash
- Sauerkraut Stew
- Zelena menestra - traditional cabbage and meat food - DubrovnikDubrovnikDubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
and surrounding area
Pasta
- ŽganciŽganciŽganci is a dish in Slovenian and Croatian cuisine, known as Sterz in Austria, pura on the Croatian coast, and also known in northern Italy. It's similar to polenta, although prepared with finer grains. It's made from maize, wheat or buckwheat flour, water, cooking oil and salt, which is cooked for...
is a dish in Slovenian and Northern Croatian cuisine - PašticadaPašticadaPašticada is a stewed beef dish cooked in special sauce, popular in Croatia. It is often called Dalmatinska pašticada because it originates in Dalmatia. It requires long and meticulous preparation, which includes marinating the beef in vinegar, lemon and rosemary for at least 24 hours...
with GnocchiGnocchiGnocchi are various thick, soft dumplings. They may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, flour and egg, flour, egg, and cheese, potato, bread crumbs, or similar ingredients. The smaller forms are called gnocchetti....
is a beef pot roast dish from Dubrovnik and Dalmatia. - FužiFužiFuži is a traditional Istrian pasta. The pasta dough is rolled-out into a thin sheet, cut into strips three to four centimetres wide, and placed over each other. The strips are then cut diagonally, producing diamond shapes. Two ends of each diamond are then folded over each other to meet in the...
is a sort of pasta from Istria. - Needle macaroni
- štrukliŠtrukliŠtrukli is a traditional Croatian dish served in most household across Zagorje and Zagreb.There are two types of štrukli, one is called kuhani štrukli the other is called pečeni štrukli or simply štrukli.- Making Štrukli :Either way štrukli is cook the preparations are the same...
is a pastry dish from Zagorje, Zagreb area. - Krpice sa zeljem
- Šporki makaruli traditional pasta mixed with meat sauce - from Dubrovnik and surrounding area
Side dishes
- SatarašSatarašSataraš is a dish originally from Baranya made with bell peppers.It is also very popular throughout South-Eastern Europe, where it is made in many different ways....
(minced and roasted vegetables) - MlinciMlinciMlinci is a dish in Croatian and Slovenian cuisine. It is a thin dried flatbread that is easy to prepare by simply pouring boiled salted water or soup over the mlinci....
(typical Croatian, roasted flatbread, similar to Caucasian flatbreads) - Đuveč (cooked vegetables, similar to RatatouilleRatatouilleRatatouille is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, originating in Nice. The full name of the dish is ratatouille niçoise.- Origin :...
)
Other
- Zagrebački odrezak or Wiener Schnitzel - escalope stuffed with ham and cheese
- Punjena paprikaPunjena paprikaPunjena paprika is a dish made of peppers, stuffed with a mix of meat and rice in tomato sauce, the ingredients consisting of green or red capsicums, eggs, spices, salt, tomato, minced meat and rice....
- paprika/peppers filled with minced meat (Hungarian: töltött paprika) - SarmaSarma (food)Sarma is a dish of grape, cabbage or chard leaves rolled around a filling usually based on minced meat. It is found in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire from the Middle East to the Balkans and Central Europe.-Etymology and names:...
- SauerkrautSauerkrautSauerkraut , directly translated from German: "sour cabbage", is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria, including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. It has a long shelf-life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid...
rolls filed with minced pork meat and rice - ArambašićiArambašiciArambašići are morsels of minced meat, onions and garlic in vine-leaf parcels, often made with sauer-kraut. This dish is a speciality of Sinj, Croatia....
from Sinj - similar to Sarma, but with ground beef and with no rice - MlinciMlinciMlinci is a dish in Croatian and Slovenian cuisine. It is a thin dried flatbread that is easy to prepare by simply pouring boiled salted water or soup over the mlinci....
- flat, sour dumplings - Lepinje-flat bread
- Wild truffles with pasta
- Croatian olive oilOlive oilOlive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
(Maslinovo ulje) - Paški baškotinPaški baškotinPaški baškotin is an aromatic zwieback rusk bread from the island of Pag....
- aromatic zwiebackZwiebackZwieback is a type of crisp, sweetened bread, made with eggs and baked twice.It is sliced before it is baked a second time, which produces crisp, brittle slices that closely resemble melba toast...
(rusk) from the Island of PagPag (island)Pag is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea. It is the fifth-largest island of the Croatian coast, and the one with the longest coastline....
- Potatoes from the region of LikaLikaLika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass...
(Lički krumpir) - high quality, large, red potatoes - SauerkrautSauerkrautSauerkraut , directly translated from German: "sour cabbage", is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria, including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. It has a long shelf-life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid...
from the VaraždinVaraždinVaraždin is a city in north Croatia, north of Zagreb on the highway A4. The total population is 47,055, with 38,746 on of the city settlement itself . The centre of Varaždin county is located near the Drava river, at...
region - CabbageCabbageCabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
(zelje) from the region of Zagreb - Artichokes with peasPEASP.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
- FritajaFritajaFritaja or frtalja is a Croatian and Slovenian dish. Both are specialties in Istria. They are especially common in the springtime, as at that time there are many plants and vegetables such as wild asparagus, wild hops, herbs, chicory, tomatoes, young garlic sprouts and spices available to add to...
with asparagusAsparagusAsparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennialplant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and... - Gorski kotar filling (pieces of ham with eggs and bread)
- ŽganciŽganciŽganci is a dish in Slovenian and Croatian cuisine, known as Sterz in Austria, pura on the Croatian coast, and also known in northern Italy. It's similar to polenta, although prepared with finer grains. It's made from maize, wheat or buckwheat flour, water, cooking oil and salt, which is cooked for...
(with milk, PolentaPolentaPolenta is a dish made from boiled cornmeal. The word "polenta" is borrowed from Italian.-Description:Polenta is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal , which can be ground coarsely or finely depending on the region and the texture desired.As it is known today, polenta derives from earlier...
) - ČvarciCvarciČvarci is a specialty of west Balkan cuisine, a variant of pork rinds. They are a kind of pork 'crisps', with fat thermally extracted from the bacon....
Sausages and ham
- KulenKulenKulen is a type of flavored sausage made of minced pork that is traditionally produced in Croatia and Serbia , and its designation of origin has been protected. In parts of Slavonia, kulen is called kulin due to Ikavian speech.The meat is low-fat, rather brittle and dense, and the flavor is spicy...
(Kulin) - spicy pork sausage from SlavoniaSlavoniaSlavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia... - ČešnovkaCešnovkaČešnjovka is a Croatian spicy pork sausage, with a harmonious garlic taste from Turopolje....
- spicy pork sausage with a harmonious garlic taste from TuropoljeTuropoljeTuropolje is a region in Croatia situated between the capital city Zagreb and Sisak. The administrative center of the region Turopolje is the town of Velika Gorica.-Overview:... - Kobasica - spicy, air-dried sausage (Hungarian: kolbász)
- SalamiSalamiSalami is cured sausage, fermented and air-dried meat, originating from one of a variety of animals. Historically, salami has been popular among Southern European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature for periods of up to 10 years, supplementing a possibly meager or inconsistent...
from SamoborSamoborSamobor is a town in the Zagreb County, Croatia. It is part of the Zagreb metropolitan area.-Geography:Samobor is located west of Zagreb, between the eastern slopes of the Samoborsko gorje , in the Sava River valley.-Population:... - ŠvarglŠvargl- Recipe :Chop the meat from a pig's head, skin, ear, tongue and heart, add salt, pepper, paprika and garlic . Then fill the pig's stomach with the mixture and add bay leaves, pepper, marjoram and thyme. Press the cooked sausage under a board for 2 days...
from SlavoniaSlavoniaSlavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia... - Suđuk from inland Dalmatia
- Istrian and Dalmatian Pršut - double-smoked hamHamHam is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:...
(similar to Italian prosciuttoProsciuttoProsciutto |ham]]) or Parma ham is a dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked; this style is called prosciutto crudo in Italian and is distinguished from cooked ham, prosciutto cotto....
) - ĆevapčićiCevapciciĆevapi or ćevapčići is a grilled dish of minced meat, a type of kebab, found traditionally in the countries of southeastern Europe. They are considered a national dish in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia...
- Panceta from Dalmatia
- ŠpekSpekHussain Yoosuf, better known by his stage name Spek, is a Canadian hip-hop artist, best known for his singles "Smell the Coffee" and "I'm a Hippie", and as a member of Canadian hip hop group, Dream Warriors.-Early career:...
from continental Croatia - Kaštradina
Cheese (sir)
- Paški sirPaški sirPaški sir is a hard, distinctively flavored sheep milk cheese from the Croatian island of Pag...
- famous sheep's milk cheese from island of PagPag (island)Pag is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea. It is the fifth-largest island of the Croatian coast, and the one with the longest coastline.... - Farmers' cheese (škripavac) and curd cheese from the regions of KordunKordunThe Kordun region is a part of central Croatia from the bottom of the Petrova Gora mountain range, which extends along the rivers Korana and Slunjčica, and forms part of the border region to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The southern border of Kordun touches the Lika region...
and LikaLikaLika is a mountainous region in central Croatia, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by the Malovan pass... - Cheese from the CetinaCetinaCetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....
region Cetinski sir - Cheese from the Island of KrkKrkKrk is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county....
Krčki sir - Cheese from Međimurje TurošTurošTuroš is a type of cheese made from cattle's milk. It is a traditional food in the north Croatian region of Međimurje.Turoš is made by cone-shaping chunks of cottage cheese, with the addition of salt and red paprika. Because it is spiced with red paprika, the cheese is usually light orange or...
- Cheese from PodravinaPodravinaPodravina or Podravje are Slavic names for the Drava river basin in Croatia and Slovenia.-History:...
Prga - Cottage cheese (eaten with vrhnje) from ZagorjeHrvatsko ZagorjeHrvatsko Zagorje is a region north of Zagreb, Croatia. It comprises the whole area north of Medvednica mountain up to Slovenia in the north and west, and up to the regions of Međimurje and Podravina in the north and east...
Pastry
- PitaPieA pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients....
- PogačaPogacaPogačice is a type of puff pastry. Pogača, Poğaça, Pogácsa or Pogacha is a type of pastry eaten in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Hungary, Greece and Turkey with variations...
(farmers' bread) - Husiljevača
- Povitica
- Bučnica (courgette cake, mostly made of older courgettes, when they grow seeds)
Sweets and desserts
- Palačinke with sweet filling (Hungarian: palacsinta)
- BaklavaBaklavaBaklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and much of central and southwest Asia....
- Dunavske Valovi
- Kremšnita - cream slice
- Šaumšnita - meringue cream slice
- Zagorski štrukli - sweet pastry from northern CroatiaZagorjeHrvatsko Zagorje is a region in northern Croatia.Zagorje may also refer to:*Zagorje ob Savi, a town and a municipality in Slovenia*NK Zagorje, a Slovenian football club-See also:...
- UštipciUštipciUštipci are doughnut-like balls popular in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia. They are similar to krafne but with more of a soft, bread-like feel to them. They are easier to make than krafne, and they do not necessarily have to be sweet...
- StrudelApfelstrudelApple strudel is a traditional Viennese strudel, a popular pastry in Austria and in many countries in Europe that once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian empire .-History:...
(Croatian: savijačaApfelstrudelApple strudel is a traditional Viennese strudel, a popular pastry in Austria and in many countries in Europe that once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian empire .-History:...
or štrudla) with appleAppleThe apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
or curd cheese fillings - Orahnjača - sweet bread with walnuts
- Makovnjača - sweet bread with poppy seeds
- Croatian honeyHoneyHoney is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
- Bear's paw
- Farmer's cheese (quark) cakes (cream cake)
- KrafneKrafneCroatian krafne or pokladnice, Bosnian , Serbian and Slovenian are desserts similar to doughnuts . They are round and usually filled with jelly, marmalade or jam. They can also be filled with chocolate, custard, or cream, but that is usually less common...
, pokladnice - a type of DonutDONUTDONUT was an experiment at Fermilab dedicated to the search for tau neutrino interactions. Even though the detector operated only during a few months in the summer of 1997, it was largely successful. By detecting the tau neutrino, it confirmed the existence of the last lepton predicted by the... - Croatian pancakes (with cream with wine sauce)
- ušljivac, deran, badavdžija (long plaited bun)
- Šnenokli (eggwhites in vanilla cream)
Cakes (kolači)
- RožataRožataRožata is a Croatian custard pudding from the Dalmatian region, similar to flan and crème brûlée.-External links:**...
or Rozata, English and Spanish Flan - Easter pastry PincaPincaPinca is a traditional Dalmatian and Istrian Easter cake. It is also popular in the Goriška region of Slovenia, the Slovenian Littoral, western Croatia and in parts of the Trieste and Gorizia provinces of Italy. It takes the form of a sweet bread loaf with the sign of a cross, which is carved in...
- KroštuleKroštuleKroštule is a traditional fried pastry from Dalmatia and Istria....
(crunchy deep-fried pastry) - FrituleFrituleFritule is a festive Croatian pastry resembling little donuts, made particularly for Christmas. They are somewhat similar to Italian Zeppole, but are usually flavored with brandy and citrus zest, containing raisins, and are topped with powdered sugar....
(festive pastry, particularly for ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days... - Bishop's bread
- Guglhupf (ring cake) (Croat. kuglof)
- Rapska torta(Eng.Rab cake)
- Međimurska gibanica (Eng. Međimurje County layer cake)
Wines
Croatia has two main wine regions: Continental (Kontinetalna) and Coastal (Primorska), which includes the islands. Each of the main regions is divided into sub-regions which are divided yet further into smaller vinogorje, (literally wine hills) and districts. Altogether, there are more than 300 geographically-defined wine-producing areas in Croatia. In parts of Croatia, wine, either red or white, is sometimes consumed mixed in approximately equal proportions with water.Dessert wines
- Sweet Malvazija
- Muškat Ottonel (see: Muscat grape)
- ProšekProšekProšek is a sweet dessert wine that is traditionally from the southern area of Dalmatia, Croatia. It is made using dried wine grapes in the passito method. Good quality Prošek is usually much more expensive by volume than other wines due to an average of seven times more grapes being needed to...
Beers (pivo)
Heineken
Heineken is a Dutch beer which has been brewed by Heineken International since 1873. It is available in a 4.6% alcohol variety in countries such as Ireland. It is the flagship product of the Heineken company and is made of purified water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. In 1886 H...
, Tuborg, Gösser
Gösser
Gösser beer is the main brand of the Göss brewery in the Styrian city of Leoben, one of the largest and most-well known Austrian beer breweries.Style: Lager, Lager, Dunkel / DarkAlcohol: 5.2% ABVBrewery: Gosser BreweryCountry/Region: Austria...
, Stella Artois
Stella Artois
Stella Artois is a 5% ABV lager brewed in Leuven, Belgium since 1926. In the UK, Canada and New Zealand a 4% ABV version is also available.-Production:...
, etc.), you will find some tasty home-brewn beers in Croatia. (Real fans need to know that the brewery in Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
produces Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n Kaltenberg beer by licence of the original brewery in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.)
- KarlovačkoKarlovackoKarlovačko is a popular beer in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is the signature product of brewer Karlovačka Pivovara, located in the city of Karlovac....
: brewed in KarlovacKarlovacKarlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
http://www.karlovacko.hr/ - Ožujsko: brewed in ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
(the name refers to the month of march) http://www.ozujsko.com/ - Pan
- Favorit: from Buzet, Istria
- Osječko: from OsijekOsijekOsijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
- Staro Češko: Czech beer from DaruvarDaruvarDaruvar is a town in central Croatia, population 9,815 , total municipality population 13,243 ....
(a Czech minority is living there), brewed in Croatia - Riječko pivo: from the large seaport city of RijekaRijekaRijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
on the northern Adriatic coast - Tomislav: black beer from ZagrebZagrebZagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
- Velebitsko pivoVelebitsko pivoVelebitsko is a popular beer brand from Croatia, brewed near Gospić on the Velebit mountains in Lika by the Pivovara Ličanka. The name is used for the pale lager which has an alcohol content of 5.1% and for the dark lager which has an alcohol content of 6.1%...
: brewed near GospićGospicGospić is a town in the mountainous and sparsely populated region of Lika, Croatia. It is the administrative centre of Lika-Senj county. Gospić is located near the Lika River in the middle of a karst field....
on the VelebitVelebitVelebit is the largest though not the highest mountain range in Croatia. Its highest peak is the Vaganski vrh at 1757 m.The range forms a part of the Dinaric Alps and is located along the Adriatic coast, separating it from Lika in the interior...
mountain, small but high-quality brewery, the dark beer has been voted best beer by an English beer fan website.
Liqueurs and spirits
- MaraschinoMaraschinoMaraschino .The liqueur's distinctive flavor comes from the Marasca cherries, and the crushed cherry pits lend an almond-like flavor to Maraschino...
- Rakija (Croatian name for spirits) made from:
- Lozovača / Loza - grapes (it.: GrappaGrappaGrappa is an alcoholic beverage, a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume...
) - Travarica - Loza with herbs
- ŠljivovicaSlivovitzSlivovitz or Slivovitsais a distilled beverage made from Damson plums. It is frequently called plum brandy, and in the Balkans is part of the category of drinks called rakia...
- plum - KruškovacKruškovacKruškovac is a type of rakija made by distilling fermented pears, and has an alcohol content of around 25%. It is characterized by its sweet pear aroma and distinctive yellow color. It is a popular drink in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and in other states of the former Yugoslavia...
- pears - Drenovac - cherries
- Lozovača / Loza - grapes (it.: Grappa
- PelinkovacPelinkovacPelinkovac is a bitter liqueur based on wormwood , popular in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as in Slovenia, where it is known as pelinkovec or pelinovec....
- Orahovac (walnut liqueur)
- Glembaj
- Medovina (with honey)
- Gvirc (as Medovina, only more alcohol)
Coffee
Croatia is a country of coffeeCoffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
drinkers (on average 5kg per person annually), not only because it was formerly part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, but also because it bordered the former Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. Traditional coffee houses similar to those in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
are located throughout Croatia.
Mineral water
Regarding its water resources, CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
has a leading position in Europe. Concerning water quality, Croatian water is greatly appreciated all over the world. Due to a lack of established industries there have also been no major incidents of water pollution.
- JamnicaJamnica (company)Jamnica is a water bottling company from Croatia. Its main products are mineral water Jamnica and Jana, named after the two main water springs it uses near Pisarovina on the river Kupa. It is the largest bottled water producer in the country....
– Winner of the Paris AquaExpo for best mineral water of 2003 http://www.jamnica.hr/ - Lipički studenac
- Jana – also belongs to JamnicaJamnica (company)Jamnica is a water bottling company from Croatia. Its main products are mineral water Jamnica and Jana, named after the two main water springs it uses near Pisarovina on the river Kupa. It is the largest bottled water producer in the country....
, best aromatized mineral water (Eauscar 2004) - Cetina – water from the river CetinaCetinaCetina is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . Cetina descends from an altitude of 385 m at its source to the sea level when it flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia....
, which flows through the DalmatiaDalmatiaDalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n hinterland http://www.cetina.hr/ - Bistra – produced by Coca Cola
Juices and syrups
- Badel
- JamnicaJamnica (company)Jamnica is a water bottling company from Croatia. Its main products are mineral water Jamnica and Jana, named after the two main water springs it uses near Pisarovina on the river Kupa. It is the largest bottled water producer in the country....
http://www.juicy.com.hr/ - Maraska http://www.maraska.hr/engleski/e_uvoden.html
- Dona
- Vindija juices – Vindi sokovi
- Cedevita - sherbet
Further reading
- "Hrvatska za stolom - mirisi i okusi Hrvatske", Ivanka Biluš et al., Zagreb:Alfa, Koprivnica: Podravka, 1996, 192 p., illustrated in color, (Biblioteka Anima Croatarum, 2) ISBN 953-168-104-X
- "Hrvatska vina" (Croatian wines), Fazinić Nevenko, Milat Vinko, illustrated, 159 p., 1994, ISBN 953-173-061-X
- "Nova hrvatska kuhinja" (New Croatian cuisine), Davor Butković, Ana Ugarković, Profil international, Zagreb, 2005, 272 p., ISBN 953-12-0164-1.